Queensland Railways 2170 class

Queensland Railways 2170 class South African Class 35-800
Transnet Freight Rail D35-802, Pyramid South, Gauteng, September 2015
Type and origin Power type Diesel-electric Designer Clyde Engineering Builder Clyde Engineering at Comeng, Rocklea Serial number 82-1100 to 82-1109 82-1125 83-1146 to 83-1178 84-1218 Model EMD GL26C-2 Build date 1982-1984 Total produced 45
Specifications Configuration: ​  • AAR C-C  • UIC Co'Co'  • Commonwealth Co-Co Gauge 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) Wheel diameter 1,016 mm (40.0 in) Wheelbase: ​  • Bogie 3,810 mm (12 ft 6.0 in) Pivot centres 11,684 mm (38 ft 4.0 in) Length: ​  • Over couplers 18,059 mm (59 ft 3.0 in)  • Over body 17,043 mm (55 ft 11.0 in) Width 2,771 mm (9 ft 1.1 in) Height 3,900 mm (12 ft 9.5 in) Axle load 16,150 kg (35,600 lb) Adhesive weight 97,500 kg (215,000 lb) Loco weight 97,500 kg (215,000 lb) Fuel type Diesel Fuel capacity 2202-2210: 7,273 L (1,600 imp gal) All others: 5,950 L (1,310 imp gal) Lubricant cap. 918 litres (202 imp gal) Coolant cap. 795 litres (175 imp gal) Sandbox cap. 0.68 m3 (24 cu ft) Prime mover GM-EMD 16-645E RPM range 315-900 ​  • RPM idle 315  • Maximum RPM 900 Engine type V16 Diesel engine Aspiration Roots blower Alternator Traction: EMD AR6, 600 V DC Companion: EMD CA5. 180 V DC Auxiliary: EMD A3 Generator EMD AR6-G-D18 Traction motors Six EMD D29 Wheelslip systems: EMD Dash 2 (2171, 2201-11, 2214) ZTR Nexsys II (all others) Gear ratio 63:14 Loco brake Westinghouse 26L, Dynamic Train brakes Gardner Denver WBO compressor Safety systems Fischer Electronic vigilance system Wabtec TDR9000 event recorder ThermAir RD1-1000 air conditioner Couplers AAR knuckle
Performance figures Maximum speed 100 km/h (62 mph) Power output: ​  • Starting 1,641 kW (2,201 hp)  • Continuous 1,492 kW (2,001 hp) Tractive effort: ​  • Starting 286 kN (64,000 lbf) @ 30% adh.  • Continuous 213 kN (48,000 lbf) @ 19.8 km/h (12.3 mph) Dynamic brake peak effort 179 kN (40,000 lbf)
Career Operators Aurizon Queensland Rail Transnet Freight Rail Ferronor Class QR 2170 class TFR Class 35-800 Number in class 45 Numbers QR: 2170-2214 TFR: D35-801 to D35-814 Delivered 1982-1984 First run March 1982 Disposition 2 scrapped

The Queensland Railways 2170 class is an Australian diesel-electric locomotive.

All were built between 1982 and 1984 by Clyde Engineering at Comeng's Rocklea plant for Queensland Rail. Most have been sold for further use overseas with seventeen going to South Africa and twelve to Ferronor in Chile.

The Queensland Railways 2100 class first entered service in 1970. The class family consists of the 2100, 2130, 2150 and 2170 classes. It formed the mainstay of Queensland Rail's coal haulage from the opening of the Goonyella line until electrification in the late 1980s.^[1][2]

A new batch of locomotives was ordered with the opening of each new mine and the 2170 class entered service when the German Creek, Oaky Creek and Blair Athol coal mines came into operation. Eleven units were built with Locotrol equipment.^[1][2][3]

The 2170 class was an evolution of the 2150 class. It differed from the earlier class mainly by having modified traction motors, Dash 2 modular electrical cabinets and air-conditioned cabs.^[2][4]

The locomotives were built by Clyde Engineering at Comeng's Rocklea plant between 1982 and 1984.^[1][2]

Since the late 1980s, the locomotives have been modified. Modified locomotives had a letter suffix added to their unit numbers. These modifications include:^[1][2]

• A suffix. Weight reduction by reducing fuel tank capacity by 1,300 litres, 2195 only
• D suffix. A driver-only operation (DOO) cab modification, which included lowering the nose of the locomotive and the addition of a larger windscreen for the driver.^[1][5]
• F suffix. The addition of auxiliary fuel tanks.^[1]

In 1992-1993, all except numbers 2202 to 2210 were fitted with Automatic train protection (ATP). Between 1995 and 1999 eleven received extended cabs to relieve cramping caused by the ATP equipment.^[2]

In 2000, an overhaul program commenced which included the fitting of maxi-cabs, similar to that of the 2300 class, to all 43 remaining units. After this, thirty were in "D" configuration with the other thirteen in "F" configuration. Some were fitted with ZTR Nexsys II traction control systems.^[1][2]

The 2170 class entered service on coal haulage on the Goonyella line. After electrification, all except numbers 2202 to 2210 were placed into general traffic between Brisbane and the South West and on the North Coast line between Rockhampton and Townsville. Meanwhile, numbers 2202 to 2210 were relocated to Townsville in 1988 to haul Greenvale mineral trains and, from 1993, trains on the Mount Isa line. In the late 1990s, they were re-allocated to Gladstone to operate Moura line coal trains.^[2]

When the 4100 class entered service, the 2170 class began to be withdrawn from service.^[1][5] Along with Queensland Rail's freight operations, all, apart from 2195, passed to QR National (now Aurizon) in July 2010.

Many of the 2170 class have been sold by Aurizon.

• In August 2013, three were placed on consignment with Apex Industrial and exported to South Africa. They were shipped from Brisbane to Durban on the ship BBC Carolina on 22 August 2013. Two were sold to African Rail & Traction Services while the third went to RRL Grindrod Locomotives.^[5]
• In July 2014, three were sold by Aurizon back to Queensland Rail to haul its passenger trains.^[6]
• In 2014, fourteen were purchased by Transnet Freight Rail and exported to South Africa as the Class 35-800.^[7][8]
• In June 2016, twelve were sold to Ferronor in Chile.^[9][10]

The Transnet locomotives were renumbered in the range from D35-801 to D35-814, following their Aurizon number sequence and retaining the driver-only operation (DOO) "D" as a prefix to the unit number.^[1][5]

At least eight of the Class 35-800 units were allocated to the Western Cape system and are based at Bellville Locomotive Depot. Of those, at least six have been superficially repainted in a shop version of the red Transnet Freight Rail livery and appear to be in service working the West Coast lines. In most cases the old Aurizon numbers are still visible under the red paint. Repainting was done only on the upper bodywork and everything from the running boards down were left as it was. This includes the buffer beams and cowcatchers, probably since the Australian yellow and grey chevron pattern on the buffer beams is an inverted version of the yellow and grey pattern used by Transnet Freight Rail. At least four of the remaining units are believed to have been allocated to the Eastern Cape system.

With the addition of the Class 35-800s, the South African Class 35 locomotive family now consists of five classes, the General Electric (GE) Classes 35-000 and 35-400 and the GM-EMD Classes 35-200, 35-600 and 35-800.^[11]

In 2019, after being awarded a grain haulage contract in Queensland, Watco Australia purchased 5 of the 2170s sold to Transnet (2180, 2181, 2183, 2184 and 2188) and shipped them back to Queensland by NGL Projects. They arrived at the Port of Brisbane on 2 July 2019, and the first loco, 2188D, was transferred to Watco's new facilities in Warwick on 31 July 2019. They will be used on Watco's grain and cattle services, in conjunction with the brand new WRA class, currently being built by NRE in the United States.

The present owner, builder's works numbers, dates in service and disposition are listed in the table.^[5]

• 
  Queensland Rail 2174D traversing Denison St, Rockhampton, c. 2000
  (Now TFR no. D35-802)
• 
  No. 2180D at Beaconsfield, Kimberley, 7 October 2015
  (renumbered D35-804, bought by Watco, renumbered again to 2180W)
• 
  No. 2202D at Pyramid South, Gauteng, 22 September 2015
  (Now TFR no. D35-809)
• 
  TFR no. D35-803 at Bellville Loco, 4 July 2017
  (Ex QR 2170 Class no. 2177D)
• 
  2183D at Fisherman's Island

Media related to Queensland Railways 2170 class at Wikimedia Commons